If you ask me, the best part of the holiday season are the holiday cookie recipes. Holiday cookies are affordable and easy to make, they never fail to make everyone happy, and they always give us a good reason to get together with friend…
When my mom had cancer, one of the things that truly lifted her spirits (and ours) was when friends would drop off home-cooked meals. Beyond the comfort in knowing that people cared, the meals themselves were warm, delicious, and time-sa…
It feels like the world is in a very give-back kind of mood this year, doesn't it? And while we have quite a few gifts that give back on our holiday gift guide , there's something particularly special about ornaments that support a great…
If you score not-so-high on the Official Scale of Craftiness (which, I swear, should be a real thing), fear not. You and your kids will have a blast making these eight super-easy, super-cute holiday crafts we've rounded up just for you. …
We're dreaming of white...walls, that is. A white wall in a child's room just begs to be noticed. You can go crazy expensive and find a muralist (we can dream!), or make a statement in a much less pricey way, like with these cool, quirky…
The world of children's music has come a long way, baby. I definitely grew up in simpler times, lying on my bedroom floor listening to record-album recordings of my favorite stories. While it's incredible to have such diverse offerings f…
One of my favorite categories on our Holiday Gift Guide this year is first Christmas gifts for babies that are all handmade. Recently we shared an entire selection of great first holiday gifts for baby (lots of handmade goodness there to…
DIY handmade ornaments make some of the most lovely Christmas gifts . Our own Christmas tree is filled with handmade holiday ornaments, some from flea markets and craft shops on our travels, and some DIY ornaments from crafty friends. (S…
Hanukkah is around the corner. That means it's time to get our best latkes recipe on! The humble potato pancake is a traditional Hanukkah food loved by Jews and non-Jews alike, and with good reason. Who can resist crispy fried cakes of s…
If you're a design fan, or just like a lot of color besides red and green in your hoildays, then these ornaments from Pantone might be the ten most perfect ornaments for your Christmas tree. I am having trouble picking a favorite from am…
I feel a personal commitment to the amazing company fashionABLE, since having visited their operation in Ethiopia and meeting so many of the women who actually made the scarves. It's even one of my very favorite picks this year in our Ho…
Big boxes are good. Little blue boxes are sometimes better. But gift boxes that arrive in the mail every month are maybe the best way to remind the folks you love that they're always on your mind. Whether you have a favorite foodie, a be…
More and more people are craving a handmade holiday season, from stockings to gifts. I understand the feeling of wanting to be surrounded by one-of-a-kind pieces that are unique and beautiful. When I was a young child, my aunt made my wh…
As much as I love the holidays, hearing Christmas music in stores and on the car radio since Halloween has squashed my desire for another spin of Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer . Luckily, like a surprise from Santa's elves, three of …
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: three sneaky ninjas. Also: ten caped crusaders, nine Star Wars figures, two vampires, and a well-muscled werewolf in a fir tree. The husband and wife team of Itty Bitty Wood Shoppe …
Forget the sugarplums. We've got iPhones dancing in our heads . Here are a few of our favorite picks from the last week, just in case you missed them. 1. Customize this with your sweetest baby photos, and Santa will have to give you an i…
I can't be the only parent who's swiped my kids' squeezable fruit pouches. I love fruit so much, I could be a fruitarian with very little prompting. And now there's a fruit pouch for us grown folks, with some decidedly grown-up flavors. …
Stocking-stuffer alert for the sleep-deprived: I'm used to listening to Justin Roberts' songs with the kids in the car, with the volume turned up more than halfway. In my opinion, he is one of the best at sing-along choruses, clever word…
In honor of World AIDS Day today, there's a lot you can do. It can be as simple as signing a petition to keep funding for AIDS treatment and prevention going to save the lives of moms and babies. It can be talking to your kids about AIDS…
How many of us are currently stressing out about our Christmas cards? Do we take pictures of the family? Do we keep it simple with card stock designs? Colorful? Plain? Traditional? Modern? Ahhh! Too many decisions! Well, let me give you …
If you are shopping for a vehicle-obsessed child who can't wait to get more Things That Go, you're in luck. This holiday, some of our favorite small companies are offering such cool, eco-friendly toys that fly, choo-choo, and zip--with a…
I am a frequent business traveler, an entertainment junkie (jazz hands!) and a big fan of not cooking on special occasions when a great restaurant can do it for me. That's why I've been an American Express Platinum holder for a long time…
I love flash toy sales before the holidays. If you're on the ball, you can score really top-quality brands at a portion of their regular prices. (You already know that, if you've been following us through the Cyber Monday madness this we…
I adore everything about the holidays, especially decorating. Growing up in my family, prepping the house pretty much stopped at setting out the menorah. Now that I'm in charge, I love decking out our home with a cozy all-holidays-welcom…
